THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 27, 1994 TAG: 9411240279
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Close-Up
SOURCE: Rebecca A. Myers
LENGTH: Long : 121 lines
Even before he was old enough to drive, Timothy Bowen could be found under the hood of his brother's 1955 Chevy.
``My brother was always working on it, always doing something to it, and I was always in the garage hanging around helping him,'' said Bowen, 38, whose first love was a '56 Chevy.
``Back then, Daddy didn't build a car for me. Daddy told me if I wanted a car, then I'd have to buy it myself. And the only thing I could afford was an old junker, so my brother helped me work on it,'' he said.
Since then, restoring old cars has been Bowen's passion. Four years ago, he bought a 1969 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport 427 convertible, one of only about 250 made.
``They stopped the production of (the) Super Sport in '68. The only way you could get one in '69 is if you ordered it, so there weren't that many made. That's what makes it so rare,'' he said.
``The main reason I bought this particular car was because it's a convertible. I had never had one. I didn't really realize how rare the car was until after I had bought it.''
The candy-apple red Impala with 93,000 miles on its odometer is equipped with a 427 engine, power disc brakes, power steering, heavy-duty suspension, turbo 400 transmission, 12-bolt rear differential, hideaway headlights with washers, accessory bumper guards, air conditioning and Rally wheels with Redline tires. It's about 99 percent original, Bowen said.
``I don't have anything on it that wouldn't have come on it when it was new,'' he said. ``Nothing's really been changed. I've done a lot of searching for parts.''
Bowen has attempted to trace the car's roots, but has been unsuccessful tracking down previous owners beyond a gentleman in Virginia Beach who had owned it.
``I haven't gotten any further than that,'' he said. ``I've tried to make several different phone calls, but I haven't had much luck. I do know the car came from New York, so it spent some time up North.''
Bowen, a marine machinist at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, usually spends his winters working on the car and his summers entering it in car shows.
``We take it to local shows in the area, then in the summertime we go to one or two big shows out of town. We've been up to Pennsylvania and Tennessee with this particular car,'' he said. ``We drive it to all the shows. We don't trailer it.''
At the Super Chevy Weekend, held last month at the Virginia Motorsports Park outside of Petersburg, Bowen's Impala was one of 10 cars selected for an Editor's Choice Award by the editor of Super Chevy Magazine. His car will be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
``I think this one will be a keeper,'' he said. ``I'm going to hang onto it. One day I'd like to go ahead and do a complete restoration on it, tear it completely apart and put it all back together.''
Including the purchase price, Bowen has spent $9,000 on the car since buying it in 1990.
``But that's nothing compared to what some people will spend on a restoration. A real show-quality paint job nowadays will cost you about $3,000. It's not like getting the family car painted. It's real expensive,'' he said.
Bowen estimates having ``20 cars in the last 20 years.'' All but one have been Chevrolets.
``I wouldn't have anything but,'' he said. ``I drive an old Chevy pickup; my wife drives a Chevrolet van. I've had one Ford in my entire life, and that was an old truck. In fact, that was my first vehicle, a 1949 Ford pickup, but I didn't keep it very long. I got me that '56 Chevrolet, and it's been Chevrolets ever since.''
Bowen would like to have ``one of about everything.''
``If I ever won the lottery or came into a lot of money, there would be a lot of different models that I'd like to have: a Chevelle Super Sport from '65 or '66. And a Corvette. I've always wanted a Corvette. Probably a '65. I'm stuck back in the mid-'60s for some reason. I guess it's because of what I remember.''
Currently, Bowen is in the process of piecing together a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport for his daughter, Charlene. He'll also put together a second car for this son, Steven.
``I told my kids I'd do one car a piece,'' he said. ``My son's 8 and my daughter's 14, so I've still got a little bit of time.''
Name: Timothy A. Bowen
Nickname: Bo
Neighborhood: Cedar Point
Number of years in Portsmouth: 19
Birthplace: Williamsburg
Birthdate: May 29, 1956
Occupation: Marine machinery mechanic, NNSY
What other job than your own would you like? Professional automobile painter
Marital Status: Married to Delores
Children: Charlene, 14, and Steven, 8
Fondest childhood memory: Visiting my grandmother's farm
First concert: Rare Earth, William & Mary Hall, 1971
What song or book title best describes your life? ``Workin' For A Living'' by Huey Lewis
If you won the lottery, what's the very first thing you'd buy? A shop in which to work on my cars
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? I'm happy being myself
Biggest accomplishment: Winning Editor's Choice and First In Class Honors at October's Super Chevy Show
Most embarrassing moment: Having a bird fly over and make a deposit on my hat in front of my boss and co-workers
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My gray hair
Perfect way to spend the day: Boating on the river
I can't resist: Seafood
Favorite Portsmouth restaurant: The Circle
Favorite Portsmouth hangout: Portside
Biggest problem facing Portsmouth: Maintaining its smalltown atmosphere
If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?
Improve the school system
Attract more industry
Continue downtown improvements
Other than its smalltown atmosphere, what do you like about living in Portsmouth? It's close to work, to the beach, historical areas, etc. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
by CNB